David Robinson, The Scotsman
'I'm...put in mind of Anne Tyler: in my book, that's praise
indeed.'
indeed.'
Review
"'Lovely, brilliant, surefooted and devastating.' Ali Smith"
Catherine Taylor, Guardian
'a delicate yet sturdy tale of trapped adolescence, nostalgia and
acceptance.'
acceptance.'
Daily Telegraph
'a poignant story of silly misunderstandings, missed opportunities
and belated pleasures'
and belated pleasures'
Book Description
The long-awaited first novel from one of Scotland's most admired short story writers.
Independent
'Ruth Thomas's first novel shows her talent for stitching together touching and comic moments from ordinary lives.'
Observer
'Frequently luminous writing ... [with] acute observations.'
Product Description
At fifteen, Sally Tuttle and Rowena Cresswell were firm friends, until a shocking event changed their lives. Now in their early forties, they are estranged, both single mothers, both haunted with memories of their intense friendship. Sally is an embroiderer, a needlewoman who works at a repairs shop in East Grinstead. When she wins an embroidery prize and is invited to deliver a lecture in Edinburgh, she has to leave her teenage daughter Pearl alone and step into this daunting new role. As fate would have it, Rowena is in Edinburgh too, helping her son move out of his student
From the Publisher
Winner of the Good Housekeeping Most Entertaining Read Award
About the Author
Ruth Thomas is an acclaimed Scottish short story writer. Her first collection Sea Monster Tattoo was shortlisted for the John Llewelyn Rhys Award and the Saltire First Book Award in 1998. The Dance Settee won a Scottish Arts Council Book Award in 2000. Her stories have been read on Radio 3 and 4 and she is a regular guest at the Edinburgh Book Festival.
